TV Restaurants

Who Runs Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger Now? (Ann Arbor, MI)

New owners verified

As of September 2026, Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger operates under new ownership — confirmed via clickondetroit.com, March 17, 2026.

Primary source
clickondetroit.com ·
Secondary source
wemu.org ·

Last verified

What the source shows: Click On Detroit (2026-03-17) and WEMU-FM (2026-03-18) both reported the restaurant temporarily closed for renovation as new owners Pete Levin and Doug Botsford finalized an ownership transfer.

  • Season / episode Season 2, Episode 12
  • Original air date
  • Address 304 South Ashley Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

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What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visited Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger, a build-your-own burger stand in Ann Arbor, Michigan billed as the city's oldest hamburger stand since 1953, for its griddled burgers and fried onion rings during the episode "Burgers, Rings and Fries," which aired 2008-01-21. Click On Detroit reported on 2026-03-17 that the restaurant temporarily closed amid a change in ownership, and WEMU-FM reported on 2026-03-18 that the closure was for renovations as the ownership transfer finalized. Both outlets identified the new owners as Pete Levin, known for Ann Arbor's Joe's Pizza and Bo's Bagels, and Doug Botsford, a longtime Ann Arbor resident, who plan to modernize the space while keeping the grill, staff, and existing artwork. As of a September 2026 site check, the business's website described itself as in its "Next Chapter" and indicated it was temporarily closed pending reopening.

The 2012 episode "Hamburger Paradise 2: The Double-Decker" featured Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger, an Ann Arbor institution known for cooking thin, made-to-order beef patties to a customer's exact specifications on a griddle behind the counter, according to Wikipedia. Founded in 1953, the fast-food burger stand became known for combinations like its bacon-and-egg "Elvis" burger and fried onion rings. The restaurant's own website, still online at blimpyburger.com, carries a 2018 copyright and a "Next Chapter" notice describing the business as pausing operations, the most recent dated information available for the location as of a check on 2026-09-08.

Man v. Food's Ann Arbor episode (S3E20, aired 2010-10-20) featured Blimpy Burger, the thin-patty burger stand known locally as Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger. According to Wikipedia (revised 2026-08-06), it is a fast-food restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan, known for its burgers and fried onion rings, operating since 1953 at 304 S. Ashley Street. The restaurant's website, blimpyburger.com, currently displays a page titled 'Next Chapter' with a 2018 copyright date and a note about the business 'hibernating,' rather than current hours or ordering information. A Google Places listing checked 2026-09-08 lists the business as temporarily closed. This appearance is logged against the existing Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger record rather than as a separate business, since the show's segment and the long-running Ashley Street burger stand are the same establishment.

Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Season / episode
Season 2, Episode 12
Original air date
Episode title
Burgers, Rings and Fries
What was featured
Build-your-own burgers and crispy onion rings
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger
Season / episode
Season 4, Episode 2
Original air date
Episode title
Hamburger Paradise 2: The Double-Decker
What was featured
its build-your-own, made-to-order smashed burger patties
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger
Season / episode
Season 3, Episode 20
Original air date
Episode title
—
What was featured
A classic thin burger and fried onion rings at a burger stand
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger

Frequently asked questions

Is Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger operates under new ownership — confirmed via clickondetroit.com, March 17, 2026.

What happened to Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visited Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger, a build-your-own burger stand in Ann Arbor, Michigan billed as the city's oldest hamburger stand since 1953, for its griddled burgers and fried onion rings during the episode "Burgers, Rings and Fries," which aired 2008-01-21. As of September 2026, Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger operates under new ownership — confirmed via clickondetroit.com, March 17, 2026.

What is Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger called now?

As of September 2026, Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger operates under new ownership — confirmed via clickondetroit.com, March 17, 2026.

Where is Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger located?

304 South Ashley Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger?

Season 2, Episode 12 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, first aired January 21, 2008. The episode is titled “Burgers, Rings and Fries”.

Who owns Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger now?

As of September 2026, Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger operates under new ownership — confirmed via clickondetroit.com, March 17, 2026. We name individual owners only where a source we cite names them.

Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.

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Visit info

Address
304 South Ashley Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Venue type
restaurant
Official website
blimpyburger.com

Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.

Sources

  • clickondetroit.com — https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2026/03/17/beloved-ann-arbor-burger-spot-temporarily-closes-amid-new-ownership/
  • wemu.org — https://www.wemu.org/wemu-news/2026-03-18/ann-arbor-blimpy-burger-closes-for-renovations-as-ownership-transfer-finalizes
  • blimpyburger.com — https://www.blimpyburger.com/
  • blimpyburger.com — http://www.blimpyburger.com/
  • Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blimpy_Burger

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